East Coast Gets Serious About Marijuana

By
Chris Goldstein, freedomisgreen.com
on March 31, 2011

From the stage of the Boston Freedom Rally – Chris GoldsteinIn the eastern United States a dramatic change is stirring for cannabis laws. Medical marijuana, decriminalization and even fully taxed legalization are on the march forward from Maine to Florida. Backed by striking public support, new bills are being introduced and old ones are getting a second chance.

The surge in recent polling is important to note. Most polls show that 70% to 80% of voters (in all demographics) favor their local marijuana reform legislation.

To put this into perspective; the most popular individual politicians quickly open bottles of champagne when they break 45% in their approval ratings. Soon there may be a safer, greener choice than the old bubbly.

It is not just about the future; existing laws are being implemented in three states. Just this week Maine opened their first medical marijuana dispensary and Rhode Island announced three medical marijuana operators will get permits. Although legislators and advocates here in New Jersey are trying to fix some badly broken regulations, Garden State officials are set to announce the six Alternative Treatment Center sites on March 21st.

Here’s a rundown of cannabis reform on the East Coast. Most links go to NORML’s Take Action Center so if you are a resident of any of the states below take a moment to contact your elected officials.

Chris Goldstein is a respected marijuana reform advocate. As a writer and radio broadcaster he has been covering cannabis news for over a decade. He volunteers with local groups to change prohibition laws including PhillyNORML and The Coalition for Medical Marijuana New Jersey. He enjoys old-school hip-hop, vintage airplanes and changing the world. Contact chris at freedomisgreen.com

CANNABIS CULTURE – Most marijuana-related news focuses on how to invest, tax revenue for states, shops...

Comments

2 Comments

Anonymous on
April 1, 2011 5:29 am

All hope is no longer lost. Its so precious that amongst these times of difficulty and inequity towards other races and creeds of people; our great nation can share common ground. It’s only a matter of time before a sweet and forgiving plant will rise again to no longer be considered an act of deviance and irresponsibility when ingested or smoked. Thank you God!

Anonymous on
April 1, 2011 12:36 am

Not only does ‘marijuana’ have one more syllable than ‘cannabis, but it was introduced to the (US American) English language as anti-cannabis propaganda; it made the plant seem foreign & therefore scary from the perspective mislead people in the early 20th century. Anyway, semantics aside, cannabis es muy bueno por los Estados Unidos y todos los personas (and mammals) en el mundo.